Suction cleaner



0a. 14, 1941. Pv. *Ev `@Ams-N 2,258,740

sucTIoN'V CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1959' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY 'FW E24/@SMM @CL 14, 1941.y v. E. CRLSON v 2,258,740 "f SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,.lflff.

Vnorz El Carbn BY v ' .TTORN EY 9ct. M, w41. I v. E. CARLSON 2,258,740

lsUCTIoN CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1939 5 SheecS-Sheei"I 3 INVENTOR Verna/z E. af'lswf ATTO R N EY @at M, wl. v. E. CARLSON SUGTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1939 ATTORNEY Qct. 14, 1941. v, E, CARLSON 2,258,740

` sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1959 5 shams-smet` 5 INVENTOR Vlor/1an Carlson ATTORNEY atented ct. E4, 194i SUCEKON CLEANER Vernon E. Carlson, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of @hic Application January 28, 1939, Serial No. 253,277

(Cl. 15l6) s claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to a new and other more specic objects will appear inv the following specication in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side view of a modern suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention with the main easing shown upon alongitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the main casing Only;

Figure 3 is a. section upon the line 3 3 of Figure 2 and illustrates the front lip constructionA and the manner in which the inner casing member is turned over to secure it to the outer casing member;

Figure 4 is a section upon the line 4 6 of Figure 2 and illustrates the T-nuts which are secured to the inner face of the bag iiange formed on the main casing outer part;

Figure 5 is a section upon the' line 5 5 of Figure 2 and illustrates the agitator mounting means at one end of the nozzle and also the wheel bracket stamping which is secured inside tion through the rear of the main casing of the second embodiment of the invention, the front part'of the casing being identical to that of the first embodiment;

Figure 11 is a partial bottom view of the main casing of the' second embodiment with the bot tom plate removed;

Figure 12 is a rear View of the main casing of the second embodiment; y i

Figure 13 is an exploded view and illustrates the separate exhaust outlet flange which is secured to the rear of the exhaust outlet in the second embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to Figure 1 in particular' a suction cleaner is illustrated and is seen to comprise a main casing formed of an outer casing part i the walls of which extend rearwardly in smooth contours from a. forward nozzle 2 there being contoured skirts 3 at the sides. Outer casing portion l is a stamping of sheet metal which has had its centralportion pressed downwardly to form the side and bottom walls of a circular fan chambend and a rearwardly extending exhaust passageway 5. One side wall of the fan chamber is recessed along its top at 5 for a considerable distance for a purpose which will be apparent. At the rear of the main casing outer portion l the skirts 3 at the sides merge the main casing and which includes means to secure in place the rubber furniture bumper;

Figure 6 is a partial vertical section upon the line 6 6 of Figure 5 and illustrates the nozzle end wall construction and the position of the sealing end caps;

Figure 7 is a section through the wheel bracket upon the line 1 1 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is an exploded view of the stampedparts which go together to make the main casing of the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the rst embodiment of the invention;

with the side and bottom walls of the exhaust passageway 5 to form the lower half of a rearwardly facing `flange l which carries on its inner face, and on the opposite sides of the exhaust passageway 5 threaded T-nuts 8. The top surface of 4the main casing part i at each side of the exhaust outlet 5 is slightly recessed at 9 in the manner of the fan chamber wall at 6. The lower edge oi the slnrts 3 and the flange l are turned inwardly to form a protective edge, oi greater width than the thickness of the metal itself. The lower extremities of the front and side walls of the nozzle 2 are turned at right angles and outwardly, as is clearly illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 6, to form an encircling flange.

Wheel brackets l0 which are of U-section and contoured to lie on the underside of casing part l in contact with the skirts 3 and the underside ofthe fiat topsurface, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 9, are separatelyformed stamped elements of metal which are spot welded in place. Each bracket I0 is formed with a laterally projecting downwardly opening slotted portion Il which is positioned adjacent a slot i2 in the adjacent skirt of the casing to form a securing means for resilient furniture guard I4 the extremities ci' which Figure 10 comprisesa partiallongitudinal sec- 55A extend therein, aS illustrated in Figure 2, but

which is positioned as a final operation in the assembly of the unit.

Cooperating with outer casing part I to form the main casing of the cleaner is an inner casing part I which also comprises a metallic stamping having a downwardly-facing nozzle. portion I6 formed with top, front and side walls and which opens into a rearwardly extending air passageway portion I'I having tOD and side walls. Inner casing portion I5 is a single stamping and is formed around its lower edges of its side walls with turned out flanges in the manner of the outer main casing part I, the flange at the side and front walls of nozzle lli-being formed as an upwardly facing U, as is perhaps best illustrated in Figure 9, the U being suihcient in width to receive the ange at the lower extremity of the nozzle portion 2 of outer casing I when the part I5 is positioned within the part I.

Part I5 is of such a size and shape that it is adapted to t closely within bt spaced from the outer casing part I, the forward wall of its nozzle portion I6, however, lying against the forward wall `of outer nozzle portion 2, and the out-turned bottom flange of nozzle 2 seating within the U-iianged lower extremity of nozzle portion I6. The top edges of the two nozzle portions make line contact, although this is not essential, as is illustrated in Figure 6, there being provided stamped sealing end caps I9 which are welded to the exterior of the end walls of each nozzle portion I6 and which extends downwardly into contact with the U-shaped ilange at the bottom edge of the side wall. These end caps serve to seal from the space between the two nozzle portions the openings which are formed in the end walls of nozzle portion I6 through the medium of conical-shaped indentations surrounding these openings. The openings 20 in each end wall cooperate with a pivoted latch 2| carried thereby and its cooperating spring 22 to mount one enclV of the rotary agitator. This angitator, indicated generally by the reference character 24, is shown in Figure 1.

With inner casing portion I5 within the outer casing portion I and with the flanged lower edge of the outer casing portion seating within the U-ilanged lower edge of the nozzle portion I6, that latter flange is turned inwardly, from the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 3 to the full line position, thereby clamping the parts together. The top wall of air passageway I'I extends under and in contact with the bottom wall of fan chamber 4 and these surfaces are spot welded. thereby making a unitary construction of the inner and outer casing parts I and I5. With the parts thus rigidly connected the fan eye 25 ls preferably stamped from the two parts thereby insuring more accurate alignment than could be obtained were the openings'in the two parts made prior to their assembly. y 'I'hebottom wall for the air passageway I'I ward end of the plate, there being welded at the rear end thereof a shoulder element .29 which is adapted to be held by a manually operable latch 30. The rear nozzle lip 3I is formed on the bottom plate 26 at its forward edge, the front nozzle lip 32 being formed by the combined anges of the front walls of the nozzles 2 and I6.

At the rear of the main casing outer portion I an inverted U-shaped wheel `bracket 34 is welded to the underside of the air passageway 5. The bracket is provided with inwardly extending tabs 35 which are welded to the lower half or portion of the bag flange 'I which, as described above, is formed integrally with the main casing outer part I. Bracket 34 is formed of sheet metal and is preferably stamped in a single plane and shaped with a reinforcing rib and with the tabs extended therefrom, and thereafter is bent into the U shape. In-each leg end a shaft seat 36 is formed through which a rear wheel shaft .31 extends to seat the rear cleaner wheels 38.

Also at the rear of the machine main casing and forming the top wall of the exhaust passageway 5 from the fan chamber is the cover plate unit 40 which is a. plate member, the main portion of which is adapted to seat inthe depressed seats 9 at the sides of the exhaust passageway and which is formed with a forwardly extending shelf portion 4I which includes a downwardly extending wall portion 42 which extends adjacent the `outwardly depressed section 6 of the side wall of the fan chamber 4. 'When the cover plate unit is positioned upon the exhaust; outlet, and the depending wall section 42 lies adjacent and in contact with the recessed seat section G, the cover plate serves to close the exhaust passageway and the upwardly extending semi-circular wall 43 at the rear thereof complements the semi-circular wall 1 on the main casing outer part I in'the formation of a complete exhaust outlet ange adapted to provide a seat for dust bag connection. 'Ihe cover plate unit is xedly mounted in the depressed seats 9 and 6 by welding, thus becoming an integral part of the main casing construction. Before the cover plate unit is positioned upon the main casing outer part,

v, however, a handle bracket 45 formed of two side walls which are connected at their rear and which leading from the nozzle to the eye 25 of the fan- Y chamber is formed by a removable stamped cover n plate 26 which is shaped to conform to the lower edge of theside walls of the passageway I1 and is provided inside its upwardly extending edge with a sealing gasket 21 which Is adapted to contact the flanged lower edge of the side walls of that.

passageway to provide an air sealing relationship. The bottom plate 26 ares outwardly at its forward end and is provided at those points with overhanging shoulders 26 which are adapted to overlie the flanged lower extremity of the bottom of the nozzle walls to support the forare turned out as feetat their bottom edges is welded to the unit to become an integral part thereof. The connecting wall portion between the two side walls of the bracket is welded to the exhaust ange portion 43 and the outwardly turned feet of the walls are welded to the top surface of the plate 46. AlignedV apertures 46 provide means by which a handle, indicated partly in Figure 1 by the reference character 41 may be pivotally mounted.

With the rear of the main casing completed 'by the cover plate unit and the rear wheel supporting bracket, and with the rear wheels 38 in place, seats 48 are then formed in the front wheel brackets I0 andthe adjacent wall of part Iat the proper height so that the axles of the front supporting wheels 49 may be positioned to give to the nozzle lips 3| and 32 the proper height relative to the plane of the supporting surface.

Above the main casing unit which has now been' formed is positioned the driving unit which comprises and includes an outer hood 50 which seats upon the top surface of the outer main casing part I and houses a suitable driving motor of any type. A wall 5I is included in this drivsatana t 3 fan chamber 4 and closes it in an air sealing relationship. The driving shaft 52 of the motor extends downwardly through the fan chamber, in which it carries a suction-creating fan 53, into the air passageway I1 where it is formed as a power-transmitting pulley 54 driving the belt 55 which extends vforwardly through the passageway I1 to encircle the agitator 24 within the nozzle., The exact shape of the enclosing housing or hood 50 of the driving unit is notimportant, it being essential only that it seat upon the top of the main casing in such relationship that the fan chamber closure wall 5I is flxedly secured in place, it being preferred, however, that the hood extend rearwardly to a point adjacent the exhaust passageway ange and enclose the handle supporting bracket 45 at its point of connection with the handle.

A cleaner dust bag is adapted to be secured to the exhaust passageway flange formed by the walls 1 and 43 at each side of passageway 5 by means' of a manually operable bolt 51 which extends. into threaded relationship with the threaded T-nut 8 and which functions to draw against the flange the bag ring 58 to which the filter bag 59 is attached, the lower end of the bag being illustrated in Figure 1. This relationship of the bag securing means tothe exhaust passageway iiange is common in suction cleaners of this type.

' The operation of the cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention is not unlike other suction cleaners of the same type. The invention here resides in the improved construction of the parts, as set forth. Each part going to make up the main casing is preferably a stamping which can be made in a standard stamping machine by dies shaped to press the metal and cause it to iiow into the contours of the resulting parts, as illustrated in the various figures. The individual parts after being stamped` the second preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. In this embodiment the main casing outer part is indicated by the reference character 10 while the inner main casing part is indicated by the reference character 1l. lIhese two parts are formed at the nozzle ends identically in the manner of the first modification and are positioned, connected andA interconnected exactly as in the first embodiment. The inner main casing part 1I is in fact identical with the main vcasing part I5 of the rst embodiment.- In the present embodiment main casing outer part 10 is formed with rearwardly'extending side Walls or skirts 13 and there is stamped from its upper fiat surface a circular opening 12 which defines the open top of a fan chamber. The side skirts 13 are connected at the rear of the part 10 by a rear wall 14 in which is centrally formed, in

, its initial condition. a projecting collar 15 which defines an opening for the end of the exhaust passageway which is to be formed in the casing.

According to this second embodiment the fan chamber 11 is formed of a separate stamped part which is shaped to provide the bottom walls and the side walls of th fan chamber and exhaust outlet 18. The turned-over upper edges of ythe side walls of this member extend along the underslde of, the main casing outer part 18 and are welded thereto and underlie the opening 12, being contacted by the rolled down. edge thereof. The rear portion of the inner casing member 1I underlies the bottom wall of the fan chamber 11 and is welded thereto and thereafter the fan chamber eye 19 is stamped to insure perfect alignment. The rear extremities of the air passageway 18 are turned out to form flanges which are welded to the rear wall 14 of the outer part 18 around the periphery of the collar 15 so that the opening in that collar is aligned with the air passageway. l

The exhaust outlet flange in this embodiment comprises a separate piece the major portion of which is cylindrical and which is formed with laterally extending portions 8| and a centrally located cut out aperture 82 which is of a size adapted closely to enclose the collar 15. Each laterally extending portion 8| is formed with a threaded seat 83 which is adapted to extend through an opening 84 formed in the rear wall 14 when the flange unit 80 is positioned thereagainst with the aperture 82 enclosing the collar 15. Exhaust flange is then secured by turning over the collar 15 of the main casing outer part 18 from its position illustrated in Figure 13 to its position illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 in which the collar walls lie flat, against the flange adjacent the aperture 82. The lateral extensions 8| are also welded to the wall 14 to make permanent the mounting. v

As in the iirst embodiment there ls provided a rear wheel bracket which is here indicated by the reference character '85 which is similarly formed to the bracket 34 of lthe first embodiment and is again secured to the underside of the exhaust outlet and to the adjacent exhaust outlet flange which in'this instance Yis formed by the separate element 80. The front wheel brackets are here indicated by the reference lcharacters 81 and are identical in structure and function to the front wheel brackets of the rst embodiment. In all other respects than those mentioned this second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment. l

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, but wlththe understanding that it is not to be limited to the specific disclosure herein, I claim: Y

1. A fabricated sheet metal casing for suction cleaners, comprising outer and inner sections having spaced top wall portions forming a double-walled nozzle chamber with the marginal portions of said sections interlocked together around the nozzle mouth to form the front and side lips thereof, said inner section having a rearwardly extending portion underlying a fan chamber formed between said sections and itself forming the top and side walls of anair passagev from said nozzle chamber to said fan chamber. and a removable plate fitting over the bottom of said inner section tocomplete said 'inlet passage and having a transversely extended marginal portion at its forward edge forming the rear lip of said nozzle' mouth.

2. A fabricated sheet metal casing for suction t cleaners, comprisingv an outer section forming the exteriorvwalls of a nozzle portion and the bottom and side walls of a fan chamber and exhaust outlet connection, a top wall section seat-l ing around the upper edges of the side walls of said fan chamber and exhaust outlet passage to complete the same, an inner section fitting within said outer section and consisting of a nozzle chamber spaced from the corresponding nozzle-forming portion of .said outer section throughout thetop and sides thereof with its lower front and end'marginal portions secured in interlocking connection with the corresponding marginal portions of said outer section to form the front and end lips of the suction mouth of said nozzle chamber, said inner section alsol having rearwardly extending top and side wall segments terminating beneath the bottom wall of said fan chamber and having an opening in the top wall segment registering with an opening in the bottom wall of said fan chamber, and a plate forming the bottom wall of said inner section and extended laterally along its forward edge to form the rear lip of said suction mouth.

3. A fabricated sheet metal casing for suction cleaners, comprising an outer section forming the exterior walls of a nozzle portion and the bottom and side walls of a fan chamber and exhaust passage, a wall section seating over the cavity defining said fan. chamber and exhaust passage to complete the same and having a fianged rear end portion forming the outlet connection from said exhaust passage, an inner s'ection fitting within said outer section and forming the front and end walls of the nozzle chamber spaced from the corresponding nozzle-form' ing portion of said outer section throughout the top and sides thereof with theirlower marginal portions interlocked with the corresponding marginal portions of the outer casing section to form the lips of the suction mouth of said nozzle chamber, said inner section also forming the top and sides of an air passage from said nozzle chamber to an opening in the bottom wall of said fan chamber, and a removable plate forming the bottom wall of said passage and having its front edge forming the rear lip of said suction mouth. f

4. A fabricated sheet metal casing for suction cleaners, comprising outer and inner casing sections fastened together to form a doublewalled nozzle portion and to define portions of a fan chamber and exhaust passage leading from said fan chamber, a separate wall section secured to said outer casing section to complete the fan chamber and exhaust passage, the latter terminating in a short tubular outlet extension, and a plate-like stamping fixed to said extension to form a dirt bag connection.

5. A fabricated sheet metal casing for suction cleaners, 'comprising' an outer casing section forming the outer wall of a nozzle and a portion of a fan chamber and exhaust outlet, a separate wall section completing said fan chamber and exhaust outlet passage, the latter having a short extension beyond the rear face of said outer casing section, an inner casing section fitting into said outer casing section and forming a nozzle chamber and defining a connecting passage between said nozzle chamber and said fan chamber, and a substantially circular plate having a centrally disposed opening through which extends the outer end of said exhaust passage from said fan chamber with its marginal portion bent outwardly and fiatwise around said aperture in said circular plate.

6. A fabricated lsheet metal casing for suction cleaners, comprising an outer section forming the exterior walls of the casing, including the side and bottom walls'of a fan chamber and exhaust passage therefrom, an inner section fitting within said outer section and fastened around its bottom edges to the corresponding edges of said outer section to form the downwardly opening nozzle chamber, said inner section also-including wall segments forming the top and sides of a passage leading from said nozzle chamber to an inlet opening formed in the bottom wall of said fan chamber, and a top wall section applied to said outer section to complete the fan chamber and exhaust passage.

'7. A fabricated sheet metal casing forsuction cleaners, comprising an outer section defining the exterior surface of the casing and having a recess in its top wall forming the sides and bottom of a fan chamber and exhaust passage therefrom, a fiat top section fitting over said recess to complete the fan chamber and exhaust passage, an inner section fitting within said outer section and including a portion forming a nozzle chamber withits bottom edges having interlocking connection lwith the corresponding edges of said outer section, said inner section also including thetop and side walls of a passage leading from said nozzle chamber to an inlet opening formed in the bottom wall of said fan chamber, and a plate fitting over the bottom of said inner ,section to complete the nozzle mouth and the bottom Wall of the passage from said nozzle chamber to said fan chamber.

8. A, fabricated sheet metal casing for suction cleaners comprising an integral outer casing section forming the outer top and front walls of an intake nozzle, said top wall extending rearwardly to form the top wall of an open ended rearwardly extended exhaust passageway and adapted to exhaust into a dust bag and being formed with an opening adapted to permit the insertion therethrough of a fan into a fan chamber therebelow, a first inner casing section positioned within and below and cooperating with said outer casing section to form the sides and bottom walls of afan chamber and to complete said rearwardly extended exhaust passageway, a second inner casing section fitted into said outer casing section and cooperating with the top and front walls thereof and forming the inner top and side walls of said intake nozzle and defining a portion of a connecting passageway between said nozzle and fan chamber, anda removable plate positioned below and cooperating with said second inner casing section' to complete said passageway from said nozzle to said fan chamber.

VERNON E. CARLSON. 

